(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems for supporting a container, and for holding open such a supported container. More specifically, it relates to such a support which includes a frame for clamping the mouth of the container in an open position.
(b) Discussion of the Prior Art
Containers for supporting a bag, in which the mouth of the bag is maintained open and horizontal so that it can readily receive material to be inserted in the container are well known in the art. Such prior art bag holders normally maintain their horizontal position during the entire loading process. For example, Milks U.S. Pat. No. 1,121,388, issued Dec. 18, 1914, discloses a vertical mounted bag holder that clamps a bag in an open position. The bag holding element of this patent is in a rigid position and can not move relative to its vertical mounting plate. Reilly U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,505, issued Sept. 23, 1969, discloses a bag holder which consists of a vertical mounting plate and two rings to clamp a bag in place. In this reference, the top ring is hinged so that it can move pivotally upwards for ease in loading an empty bag onto the bottom ring, or for removing a full bag therefrom. Whitten U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,592, issued Oct. 15, 1974, discloses a bag holder which includes a bag holding hoop which is normally rigidly retained in a horizontal position, but which hoop can be manually disengaged to allow it to pivot downward so that the entire bag holding hoop may be folded down and out of the way when the system is not in use. During the loading of the bag of this reference the hoop is in a rigid horizontal position, and is only pivoted downwards when it is not in use.
Other prior art which discloses various related bag holders includes Govoni U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,286, issued Nov. 20, 1973; Presinger U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,185, issued Nov. 7, 1978; Salazar U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,858, issued Sept. 23, 1980; Christensen U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,924, issued April 5, 1983; and Garvey U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,697, issued Dec. 18, 1984.
As is apparent from the many prior art patents relating to bag holders, and as illustrated by the various different solutions exemplified in the cited references and other known prior art, the problem of supporting a bag in an open position has been long-standing, and its solution has been subject to many different approaches, some of which are complex and costly. The above listed prior art clearly demonstrates that there remains at least one drawback with which open ended container holders have not dealt with to date. That problem is that as the container is filled with material, the load will increase in weight. As this occurs, the load acting upon the fasteners, which attaches the system to the vertical support, increases. Therefore, at a certain point, depending on the materials being put into the container, the increased load acting on the fasteners may cause the fasteners to fail or pull from the wall, thereby causing the system to fall to the floor, with possible damage to the system and to the support wall.
It is thus seen that it would be desirable to have a simple, inexpensive system for holding a bag in an open position for the collection of refuse or other material, which system would relieve the strain of a heavy load in a bag, for example by pivoting in a downwards direction when the weight of the bag and its contents reaching a certain predetermined load.